Agency accused of fleecing corpn workers on contract

Coimbatore: Typists and data entry operators working on contract for the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation say that the private agency that hired them is pocketing more than half of their salary.
As many as 62 such people are working in the corporation’s main office and zonal offices. All of them are graduates, and were recruited based on typing proficiency and computer knowledge.
The agency, which is disbursing their salaries, is paying them only 10,000 per month against the actual salary of 21,000, a woman worker said. “Though the salary is credited to our bank account, the agency refuses to share the salary slip. The corporation commissioner has instructed the agency to disburse our salaries in the first week of every month, but it is not being followed. Also, we get the salary only after 15th. Because of this, people like me, who stay in rented houses, are finding it difficult to pay the rent on time,” she told TOI.
The civic body selected the agency 10 years ago, but took no step to make the process transparent, she added.
Another employee said that they are kept in the dark about the money deducted for employees’ state insurance (ESI) scheme and provident fund. “A service charge is also deducted, but we have no clue about the salary breakup,” he said.
Representatives of the agency threaten them whenever they question the discrepancy, the employee said. “They threaten to terminate our service if we fail to pass a test. Most of us have been working for the corporation for the last 10 years. Why conduct a test now?”
Meanwhile, corporation commissioner M Prathap said he is aware of the issue and is investigating it.
“We plan to issue a fresh tender to find a suitable contractor. Qualified workers will be retained in the new contract,” he told TOI.